Gelnica

Gelnica
Town
256px Main square of Gelnica
90px Coat of arms
Country	Slovakia
Region	Košice
District	Gelnica
River	Hnilec
Elevation	372 m (1,220 ft)
Coordinates
Area	57.652 km2 (22.26 sq mi)
Population	6,210 (31. 12. 2013)
Density	108 / km2 (280 / sq mi)
First mentioned	1246
Mayor	Dušan Tomaško
Timezone	CET (UTC+1)
- summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	056 01
Area code	+421-53
Car plate	GL
Location of Gelnica in Slovakia
Location of Gelnica in the Košice Region Location of Gelnica in the Košice Region Location of Gelnica in the Košice Region
Wikimedia Commons: Gelnica
Statistics: MOŠ/MIS
Website: www.gelnica.sk

Gelnica (Hungarian: Gölnicbánya, German: Göllnitz) is a town in the Košice Region of Slovakia. It has a population of 6,171.

Geography

It is located in the northern part of the Slovak Ore Mountains, in the Hnilec river valley, which flows few kilometres downstream into Hornád. The town lies at the both banks of Hnilec, has an altitude of 375 m, and is located around 38 km (23.61 mi) from Košice.

History

Carpathian Germans chiefly from Bavaria began to settle the formerly Slavic settlement during the 13th century. By 1264 it was an established mining town and became a royal mining town of the Kingdom of Hungary by 1276, from where the first mentioned is recorded (as "Gelnic"). For many years Gelnica was a chief mining town in the Spiš region of Slovakia. Silver, copper, but also gold, quicksilver, lead and iron ore were mined in the mines.

The German name Göllnitz comes from the Slavic "Gnilec" (Hnilec), from which the new Slovak name Gelnica is derived. The Hungarian Gölnicbánya indicated mining activity in the town.

Sights

The town includes the ruins of a medieval castle, destroyed by a fire in 1685. Other attractions include a Gothic church and Renaissance town hall, both remodelled along Baroque lines, and a mining museum.

Demographics

According to the 2001 census, the town had 6,404 inhabitants. 95.92% of inhabitants were Slovaks, 1.55% Roma, 0.84% Germans and 1.02% Czechs. The religious makeup was 72.00% Roman Catholics, 15.88% people with no religious affiliation, and 4.03% Lutherans and 3.28 Greek Catholics.

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Slovakia

Twin towns — Sister cities

Gelnica is twinned with:

Horní Suchá, Czech Republic Gennep, Netherlands

Rudnik nad Sanem, Poland Le Pradet, France

See also

• List of municipalities and towns in Slovakia

References

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External links

• Town website (Slovak)
• Surnames of living people in Gelnica